What does it cost to sell a house?

Selling costs more than most people budget for, and the money goes out in an awkward order: some before you have a buyer, most on completion, and a few surprises in between. The figures below are typical ranges for a freehold home in England and Wales. Every one of them varies with the property, the area and who you choose, so treat them as a starting point rather than a quote.

Estate agent fees

The largest single cost for most sellers. High street agents usually charge a percentage of the sale price, commonly somewhere between 1 and 1.5 percent plus VAT for a sole agency, and more for multi agency. On a £400,000 sale that is roughly £4,800 to £7,200 including VAT. Online and hybrid agents charge a fixed fee, often several hundred to around £1,500, paid upfront or deferred, with less hands on service. Fees are negotiable, and an agent is more open to negotiating with a seller who arrives prepared.

Conveyancing

Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer handles the legal transfer. For a freehold sale, legal fees typically run from around £800 to £1,500 plus VAT, with leasehold sales higher because of the extra work with the freeholder and managing agent. On top of the fee come disbursements: the official copies of your title (a few pounds each), bank transfer fees, ID checks, and for leasehold the management pack from your freeholder, which can be £200 to £500 and takes weeks to arrive, so order it early. Fixed fee quotes are common; check what is and is not included before you compare.

Energy Performance Certificate

Legally required before you can market the property. If you have one less than ten years old it is still valid. A new one is typically £60 to £120 from an accredited assessor, and takes about an hour on site.

Searches, if you order them yourself

Searches (the local authority, drainage and water, and environmental searches) are traditionally ordered and paid for by the buyer. The government’s reform roadmap intends to move them into the seller’s pack before listing, and some sellers already order them upfront to speed things up. A full set typically costs between £250 and £400, with the local authority part set by each council. If you do order them, do it close to listing rather than months ahead, as a buyer’s lender may want recent results.

The costs people forget

• Mortgage early repayment charges, if you are inside a fixed deal and not porting the mortgage. These can run to thousands; check your offer letter.
• Removals, typically a few hundred pounds for a local move up to well over £1,000 for a long distance one with packing.
• Indemnity insurance, if a buyer’s solicitor asks for cover against something like missing building regulations sign off. Usually tens to a few hundred pounds, one off.
• Fixing what the survey finds, or taking it off the price instead.
• A lease extension, if your flat’s lease is short. A separate, often significant cost, best started before you list.

What a failed sale costs

The expense nobody budgets for. If a sale falls through after you have instructed a conveyancer, you may still owe part of their fee, the EPC and any searches are spent, and the months are gone. The Open Property Data Association’s 2026 research found more than half of recent movers had a transaction collapse after an offer, at an average cost of around three months each. Most fall throughs trace back to information arriving late, which is the one cost you can do something about.

What is free

Knowing what the public record says about your home, answering the property questions, and gathering the documents you already own costs nothing but time. Done before you list, it is also the thing that keeps the other costs from being wasted.